Second time the charm for Carlton pool house

Editor's Note: This article, originally posted on May 19, was updated on May 22 with additional information.

CARLTON — Carlton’s city pool is due a new bathhouse, based on final unofficial returns from Tuesday night balloting.

Voters favored the bond issue to finance the new facility 343 to 245, or 58.3 percent to 41.7 percent.

About 51 percent of Carlton voters returned ballots for Tuesday’s election — a much higher percentage than in other cities in the county, which did not have measures on the ballot. Countywide, only 22.1 percent of voters turned out.

The $975,000, 21-year bond issue will pay for a new bathhouse at the south end of the outdoor pool. Plans call for breaking ground this September and completing the project by June — in time for the 2016 swim season.

“I’m so ecstatic, just so happy,” said Mayor Kathie Oriet.

She credited members of a citizen advisory committee for their hard work to promote the measure, including raising money to blanket the city with “Save Our Pool” yard signs. “They worked their little tails off,” she said.

The new bathhouse will replace a shower and office facility built in the mid-1930s.

The old building is cramped, and it’s marked by cracks and mold. If it were declared unusable, city officials say, the pool would have to close.

This was the second time the city had gone to voters for poolhouse funds. The initial measure, which ran $1.32 million, failed by about 35 votes in the November 2014 general election.

The citizen advisory committee developed the new, less expensive version. It is expected to cost voters 44 cents per $1,000 of assessed valuation, which generally runs significantly less than true market value. That would mean $66 a year to the owner of a house assessed for tax purposes at $150,000, the average assessed value in Carlton.

In addition to the money from the bond measure, the city will use Urban Renewal money and other funds on the project. Private donations and grants also will be sought.

The citizen committee also recommended that the city reduce pool user fees for city residents, as a reward for their support.